WP reports… “Discussing where and how to build the fab”
“Open AI may partner with existing semiconductor foundries”
OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman reportedly discussed establishing a semiconductor manufacturing plant with the U.S. Congress.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 24th (local time), CEO Altman recently discussed with members of the U.S. Congress about where and how to build fabs (semiconductor manufacturing facilities).
High-performance semiconductor chips are essential to train and run AI programs for products such as ChatGPT, OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence (AI).
Tech industry leaders, including Altman, believe that AI will fundamentally change the global economy and that providing semiconductors at low cost is important to maintaining America’s economic and military competitiveness.
One source said Altman is leading a plan to raise billions or even trillions of dollars from investors around the world related to semiconductors.
It is said that this project could either build a new factory or partner with an existing semiconductor foundry such as Taiwan’s TSMC.
“It could operate similarly to the way Apple allocates significant funds to TSMC to ensure a stable supply of semiconductors,” the source said.
Manufacturing high-performance semiconductors is known to be not only quite difficult, but also expensive. Assembly must be done in a ‘clean room’ that prevents damage to semiconductors due to small particles or static electricity. According to Intel, one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies, it takes three years to build a single fab even if 6,000 people are employed, and a total cost of $10 billion is required.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government is also paying attention to semiconductor-related policies. This is because it is believed that it is important to foster the semiconductor industry to revitalize manufacturing and strengthen national defense capabilities.
The Joe Biden administration also enacted a semiconductor support law called Chips for America in August 2022. This includes providing subsidies worth $52 billion (approximately 69 trillion won) to expand semiconductor production facilities in the United States.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.